Clean Water Current

NACWA participated in the second annual Mid Atlantic Utility Conference -- held in Baltimore, MD, on November 2-3 -- to help foster discussion of how state and regional issues should influence the Association’s national advocacy.

NACWA participated in the second annual Mid Atlantic Utility Conference -- held in Baltimore, MD, on November 2-3 -- to help foster discussion of how state and regional issues should influence the Association’s national advocacy.

A number of nominees for senior EPA positions, including David Ross, who has been tapped to lead the Office of Water, were approved on October 25 by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

The Senate passed a $36.5 billion Disaster Relief bill last week, which had previously passed out of the House, to fund recovery efforts for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, as well as the western wildfires.

NACWA’s Board of Directors met October 25 for their fall meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah and discussed a number of key strategic issues currently facing the Association.

More than 30 leaders from clean water utilities across EPA Region 8 gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 26 to discuss challenges facing their utilities, provide input to NACWA’s national advocacy priorities and network with peers.

As the focus of environmental law shifts to the states, the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) recently released a new website, ECOS Results Project, outlining “states’ pollution reduction efforts on a national scale using common measures.”

NACWA is collaborating on an EPA-funded study seeking perspectives of utility managers and decision makers on the effects of regulation on innovation and new technology implementation in the municipal wastewater treatment sector.

(October 31, 2017) - The New England Regional Pretreatment Coordinators Association (NERPCA) held its annual workshop October 25-26, with 150 attendees from public clean water utilities and state regulatory agencies.

Following NACWA’s annual leadership meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah last week, Association staff attended the Western Coalition of Arid States’ (WESTCAS) Fall Meeting in Tucson, Arizona.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report Oct. 30 examining the use of green infrastructure to control urban stormwater, particularly in the context of combined sewer overflows (CSOs).

The Farm Bill, a five-year bill authorizing federal programs, policy and spending regarding agriculture, nutrition and conservation, is up for reauthorization in 2018. The Bill presents an opportunity to advance collaboration between clean water utilities and the agricultural sector, and improve federal conservation programs that some clean water utilities are utilizing as a means to address water quality issues on a watershed basis.

The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW NESHAP) was finalized by EPA on October 16, and the final rule reflects the advocacy efforts of NACWA and its members.

In a briefing hosted by the Congressional Clean Water Caucus on October 20 to discuss the importance of recycled water, Paul Sciuto, General Manager of NACWA Member Agency Monterey One Water, asked the audience to judge water by its quality, not history.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report last week examining the use of water quality trading programs in the United States.

The Michigan Water Environment Association (MWEA) held its Sustainable Energy Seminar on October 19, focusing on how clean water agencies are improving energy efficiency and energy recovery at their facilities.

NACWA has finalized a recent advocacy initiative, Incorporating Arid State and Water Quantity Priorities in NACWA’s Advocacy Agenda – a Concept Paper.

NACWA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) Workgroup met last week to further discuss the Association’s engagement with EPA to provide suggestions on streamlining the SRF application and reporting process.

NACWA presented at the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources’ (SEER) 25th Annual Fall Conference on October 18, touching on several points of NACWA’s legal advocacy priorities.

NACWA held a private meeting with senior White House officials on October 12 to discuss the contours of the Administration’s planned infrastructure package, including opportunities for public clean water utilities. This followed a broader water sector meeting, hosted by the White House on October 10, in which a number of NACWA utility members participated.